Download Grandma Johnson Diagnostic Question Cluster

Carbon and Energy in Ecosystems - Diagnostic Question Clusters
Student Version
Table of Contents
Introduction
Page
2
Carbon Cycling DQC’s
1. Forest Carbon
2. Grandma Johnson
3
4
7
Trophic Levels DQC’s
1. Carbon in Nature
2. Trophic Transfer
10
11
14
Energy Flow DQC’s
1. Energy Pyramid
2. Rainforest
17
18
21
Understanding Climate Change DQC’s
1. Carbon Balance
2. Keeling Curve
24
25
28
Carbon Dynamics in Energy Production DQC’s
1. Biofuels
2. Gasoline
31
32
35
Appendix I. Questions Organized by Process
38
1
Introduction
Understanding ecological processes requires an understanding of smaller scale processes such as those
at the molecular, cellular and organismal scales. The diagnostic question clusters (DQC’s) created for
this project are designed to help professors unpack their students understanding of ecological processes,
identifying smaller scale problems that limit large scale understanding.
The created DQC’s include a multiple process “umbrella” question followed by several single process
questions that help to gauge student understanding of smaller scale processes that limit their ability to
understand the “umbrella” question. Based on preliminary analysis of student responses, we’ve
identified 10 DQC’s to include in this project. All 10 of the chosen DQC’s are organized around topics
commonly found in introductory ecology classes, and less so in introductory biology classes.
DQC’s are organized into five main topics, with two DQC’s in each topic. The organization is shown in
the table below. Most of the DQC’s will be improved based on previous student responses, but the
primary structure will remain the same.
DQC Topics
Carbon
Cycling
Trophic
Levels
Energy Flow Understanding
in Ecosystems Climate Change
Carbon Dynamics in
Energy Production
DQC 1
Forest
Carbon
Carbon in
Nature
Energy
Pyramid
Carbon Balance
Biofuels
DQC 2
Grandma
Johnson
Trophic
Transfer
Rainforest
Keeling Curve
Gasoline
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Carbon Cycling DQC’s
Conservation of matter is a principle that must be applied to understand concepts in ecosystem ecology.
Forest Carbon and Grandma Johnson are two parallel diagnostic question clusters (DQC’s) designed
to diagnose student ability to trace carbon through ecosystems. Each DQC begins with an ecosystem
scale question about ecosystem carbon cycling that requires students to apply multiple carbon
transformation processes in order to provide a correct answer. Within each DQC, subsequent questions
ask students to display knowledge of individual processes that are occurring in the initial multiple
process question. This design will allow you, the instructor, to identify what processes students don’t
understand, which are preventing their understanding of ecosystem carbon cycling. A list of individual
process questions are shown in the table below.
Processes
Multiple Process
Transformation – Plant to Plant
Transformation – Plant to Soil
Transformation – Plant to Animal
Transformation – Animal to Animal
Photosynthesis
Respiration – Decomposition
Respiration – Plants
Respiration – Animals
Forest Carbon
CARBPOOL (1)
CARBPATHSB (5b)
CARBPATHSD (5d)
CARBPATHSC (5c)
PLANTRESP2 (2),
PLANTRESP1 (3),
MASSCHANGE (6a)
SOILRESP (4),
MASSCHANGEC (6c)
CARBPATHSA (5a),
PLANTRESP2 (2),
PLANTRESP1 (3)
PLANTRESP1 (3),
MASSCHANGEB (6b)
3
Grandma Johnson
GRANJOHN (1)
CARBPATHSB (4b)
CARBPATHSD (4d)
CARBPATHSC (4c)
COYOTE (5)
MAPLEMASS (3)
BREADMOLD (2),
POTATOMASS (6)
CARBPATHSA (4a)
Forest Carbon Balance Diagnostic Question Cluster
Carbon transformations are occurring everywhere in a forest. Plants are photosynthesizing, generating
organic carbon from carbon dioxide. Organic carbon is being transformed into other organic sources
within plants, and between organisms through processes such as biosynthesis and digestion. All
organisms are involved in respiration, converting organic carbon sources into inorganic forms. Students
must consider all of these carbon transformation processes to provide a proper rationale for their answer
to question one about the balance of carbon in a forest (the multiple process question). Even though
question one is asking about a process at the ecosystem scale, knowledge of carbon cycling processes at
the molecular and organismal scales are necessary for proper understanding of the ecosystem based
question. The individual carbon cycling processes involved are posed to students in questions 2-6,
enabling teachers to correctly diagnose carbon cycle misunderstandings that limit correct explanations to
question one of this DQC.
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Forest Carbon Balance Diagnostic Question Cluster
Please answer the questions below as carefully and completely as you can.
1. In an old growth forest, which of these statements would you expect to be true?
A) An old growth forest absorbs more carbon dioxide than it releases
B) An old growth forest releases more carbon dioxide than it absorbs
C) An old growth forest absorbs and releases about the same amount of carbon dioxide
Please explain your answer.
2. In plants, …
A) photosynthesis occurs but there is no respiration.
B) photosynthesis occurs in the light and respiration occurs in the dark.
C) respiration occurs 24 hours a day and photosynthesis occurs in the light.
D) photosynthesis and respiration occur but not at the same time.
E) Responses B. and C. are correct.
3. Considering the cellular processes of photosynthesis and respiration, which statements are true?
Circle True (T) or False (F) for each response.
T F Photosynthesis is the process by which plants respire.
T F Both animals and plants respire and release CO2.
T F During respiration, animals release CO2 and plants release O2.
T F During respiration, animals release O2 and plants release CO2.
4. Circle all correct answers. In most terrestrial ecosystems, soil respiration ...
A) happens when rocks break down.
B) is not linked to decomposition rates.
C) typically decreases as soil moisture increases.
D) refers to respiration by organisms living in the soil.
E) typically decreases as temperatures increase.
F) Includes gases from plant roots
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5. Once carbon enters a plant, it can …
A) exit the plant as CO2. Circle True or False
Explain
B) become part of the plant cell walls, protein, fat, and DNA. Circle True or False
Explain
C) be consumed by an insect feeding on the plant and become part of the insect’s body. Circle
True or False
Explain
D) be converted to energy for plant growth. Circle True or False
Explain
E) become part of soil organic matter when parts of the plants die and fall off the plant.
Circle True or False
Explain
How do each of the processes below affect the mass of the systems where they are occurring?
6a. When a plant absorbs CO2 and releases O2 during photosynthesis:
A) The process increases the mass of the plant
B) The process decreases the mass of the plant
C) The process does not affect the mass of the plant.
Please explain your answer.
6b. When an animal breathes in O2 and breathes out CO2:
A) The process increases the mass of the animal
B) The process decreases the mass of the animal
C) The process does not affect the mass of the animal.
Please explain your answer.
6c. When leaves in the soil decay:
A) The process increases the mass of the soil
B) The process decreases the mass of the soil
C) The process does not affect the mass of the soil.
Please explain your answer.
6
Grandma Johnson Diagnostic Question Cluster
“Grandma Johnson” (Ebert-May et al. 2003) is an excellent multiple process question for diagnosing
student reasoning about various dynamics in the carbon cycle. Students must trace carbon from organic
sources in Grandma Johnson, through cellular respiration by decomposers and into the atmosphere as
carbon dioxide, into plants via photosynthesis and biosynthesis, to herbivores via digestion and
biosynthesis that eat the plants and finally to the coyote, which consumes an herbivore. The question
specifically asks about multiple organisms, making it an ecosystem level question, but knowledge of
organismal and molecular scale processes is required to understand the true pathway that carbon atoms
take from Grandma Johnson to the coyote. Questions 2-6 are designed to further diagnose and interpret
student reasoning about specific processes in the carbon cycle, which must be properly applied to
correctly answer the multiple process, Grandma Johnson question.
Ebert-May, D., J. Batzli and H. Lim (2003). "Disciplinary research strategies for assessment of
learning." Bioscience 53(12): 1221-1228.
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Grandma Johnson Diagnostic Question Cluster
Please answer the questions below as carefully and completely as you can.
1. Grandma Johnson had very sentimental feelings
toward Johnson Canyon, Utah, where she and her
late husband had honeymooned long ago. Because
of these feelings, when she died she requested to be
buried under a creosote bush in the canyon.
Describe below the path of a carbon atom from
Grandma Johnson’s remains, to inside the leg
muscle of a coyote. Be as detailed as you can be
about the various molecular forms that the carbon
atom might be in as it travels from Grandma
Johnson to the coyote. NOTE: The coyote does not
dig up and consume any part of Grandma
Johnson’s remains.
2. A loaf of bread was left uncovered for two weeks. Three different kinds of mold grew on it. Assuming
that the bread did not dry out, which of the following is a reasonable prediction of the weight of the
bread and mold together?
A) The mass has increased, because the mold has grown.
B) The mass remains the same as the mold converts bread into biomass.
C) The mass decreases as the growing mold converts bread into energy.
D) The mass decreases as the mold converts bread into biomass and gases.
Please explain your answer.
3. A mature maple tree can have a mass of 1 ton or more (dry biomass, after removing the water), yet it
starts from a seed that weighs less than 1 gram. Which of the following processes contributes the most to
this huge increase in biomass? Circle the correct answer.
A) absorption of mineral substances from the soil via the roots
B) absorption of organic substances from the soil via the roots
C) incorporation of CO2 gas from the atmosphere into molecules by green leaves
D) incorporation of H2O from the soil into molecules by green leaves
E) absorption of solar radiation into the leaf
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4. Once carbon enters a plant, it can …
A) exit the plant as CO2. Circle True or False
Explain
B) become part of the plant cell walls, protein, fat, and DNA. Circle True or False
Explain
C) be consumed by an insect feeding on the plant and become part of the insect’s body. Circle
True or False
Explain
D) be converted to energy for plant growth. Circle True or False
Explain
E) become part of soil organic matter when parts of the plants die and fall off the plant.
Circle True or False
Explain
5. Coyotes are carnivores. Their bodies include many substances, including proteins in all their cells.
What percent of the carbon atoms in a coyote’s body were once in the following substances and
locations? Fill in the blanks with the appropriate percentages; you may use 0% in your response if you
feel it is appropriate. The percentages do not have to add up to 100%.
____% from CO2 that was used by plants for photosynthesis
____% from animals that the coyote ate
____% from CO2 that the coyotes inhaled
____% from inhaling O2
____% from soil nutrients that plants absorbed while growing
Please explain your answer.
6. A potato is left outside and gradually decays. One of the main substances in the potato is the starch
amylose ((C6H10O5)n). What happens to the atoms in amylose molecules as the potato decays? Choose
True (T) or False (F) for each option.
T
T
T
T
F
F
F
F
Some of the atoms are converted into nitrogen and phosphorous: soil nutrients.
Some of the atoms are consumed and used up by decomposers.
Some of the atoms are incorporated into carbon dioxide.
Some of the atoms are converted into energy by decomposers.
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Trophic Levels DQC’s
Tracing matter (carbon) is key to understanding how and why mass decreases as trophic levels increase.
During each transformation step, matter is converted from organic forms to gaseous forms during
cellular respiration. Students who fail to recognize or apply the process of cellular respiration during
photosynthesis, herbivory and predation struggle to understand changes in biomass at different trophic
levels. Carbon in Nature and Trophic Transfer are two Diagnostic Question Clusters (DQC’s) that
can diagnose student understanding of the processes involved mass relationships between trophic levels.
Multiple process questions ask students to identify carbon in different trophic levels, and subsequent
questions focus on the single processes involved in regulating the mass at different trophic levels. The
names of individual questions categorized by process are shown in the table below.
Processes
Multiple Process
Photosynthesis
Transformation – Plant to Plant
Carbon in Nature
CARBNATOR (1)
FOODMOVE (2),
GRASSCO2B (5)
FOODMOVE (2)
Transformation – Plant to Soil
Transformation – Plant to Animal
FWFEEDING (4)
Transformation – Animal to Animal
FWFEEDING (4)
Respiration – Decomposition
Respiration – Plants
DECDIED (3)
CO2ATM (6)
Respiration – Animals
Combustion
CO2ATM (6)
CO2ATM (6)
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Trophic Transfer
TROPMASS (1)
PLANTRESPA (3),
FOODMOVE (2)
FOODMOVE (2),
CARBPATHSB (7b)
CARBPATHSD (7d)
FWFEEDING (6),
CARBPATHSC (7c)
DEERWOLV (5),
FWFEEDING (6)
PLANTRESPA (3),
CARBPATHSA (7a)
FAT15 (4)
Carbon in Nature Diagnostic Question Cluster
An important key to understanding trophic level dynamics, which is a major topic in ecology courses, is
correctly locating carbon in various trophic levels. In addition, students must be able to understand how
carbon moves between organisms and trophic levels. This diagnostic question cluster begins with a
multiple part question asking students to locate carbon in different parts of an ecosystem, and describe
how the carbon got to the various places asked about. Subsequent questions follow up on the processes
by which carbon is transferred between organisms, and between organic and inorganic sources. Most
questions explicitly ask students to reason at an organismal or ecosystem scale, but implicitly include an
understanding of molecular level processes.
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Carbon in Nature Diagnostic Question Cluster
Please answer the questions below as carefully and completely as you can.
1. Carbon exists in different molecules or substances in nature. Please explain where carbon might exist
in a forest.
Question:
YES
or NO
If YES, what substances in
these locations contain the
carbon?
If YES, where did the carbon in
these substances come from?
Do you think you
would find carbon in
trees?
Do you think you
would find carbon in
the soil?
Do you think you
would find carbon in
animals, like deer
and wolves?
Do you think you
would find carbon in
bacteria in the soil?
Do you think you
would find carbon in
the air?
Where else you might you find carbon?
2. Draw arrows to explain how food moves through a green plant. Explain what the plant’s food is, and
where it comes from.
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3a. What would happen to the carbon cycle if all decomposers suddenly died and were not replenished?
Decide whether each statement is true (T) or false (F).
T F Carbon would accumulate in organic matter.
T F There would be more carbon in the soil for plants to absorb.
T F Carbon would cycle more rapidly without decomposers.
T F Carbon in the atmosphere would increase.
3b. Circle all correct answers. The reason for my responses are that …
A) plants get their carbon from soil through their roots.
B) decomposers serve as a “sink” for carbon and hold it in reserve.
C) with no decomposers the carbon isn’t released as CO2.
D) with one less segment of the food web, carbon would cycle faster.
E) None apply; I wrote my reason to the right of the question.
4. Organisms higher in a food web:
A) eat everything that is lower on the food web.
B) eat organisms directly below them in the food web, but not lower than that.
C) eat only some species directly below them in the food web, but not lower than that.
D) eat only some species directly below them in the food web and some others lower
in the food web as well.
Please explain your answer.
5. Explain how increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere might affect the grasses growing on a soccer
field.
6. Carbon exists in the atmosphere, where could it have come from? Circle all correct answers.
A) Photosynthesis by plants
B) Diffusion from the ocean
C) Cellular respiration by plants
D) Cellular respiration by animals
E) Cellular respiration by bacteria
F) Photosynthesis by fungi
G) Burning of biofuels
H) Burning of fossil fuels
I) Depletion of the ozone layer
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Trophic Transfer Diagnostic Question Cluster
The Tropic Transfer DQC is parallel to the Carbon in Nature DQC, but takes a slightly different angle.
Students are asked in question one to provide a reasonable expectation for the mass at various trophic
levels. To correctly answer this question, students need to trace matter during herbivory and predation.
Specifically, students must correctly identify that carbon is oxidized during aerobic cellular respiration,
therefore resulting in decreasing mass as trophic levels increase. Detailed knowledge of molecular scale
processes is necessary to piece together the information required to correctly answer the initial
ecosystem level question. Wilson et al. (2006) published a slightly different version of question 3 as part
of a project to diagnose student ability to trace matter in cell biology systems.
Wilson, C. D., C. W. Anderson, M. Heidemann, J. E. Merrill, B. W. Merritt, G. Richmond, D. F. Sibley
and J. M. Parker (2006). "Assessing students' ability to trace matter in dynamic systems in cell
biology." Life Sciences Education 5: 323-331.
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Trophic Transfer Diagnostic Question Cluster
Please answer the questions below as carefully and completely as you can.
1. About how much biomass would you expect to find in the herbivores and carnivores in this
ecosystem?
Plants
10,000
kg
Herbivores ____________ kg
Carnivores ____________ kg
Please explain your answer.
2. Draw arrows to explain how food moves through a green plant. Explain what the plant’s food is, and
where it comes from.
3. A potted geranium plant sits in a windowsill, absorbing sunlight. After I put this plant in a dark closet
for a few days (but keeping it watered), will it weigh more or less (discounting the weight of the water)
than before I put it in the closet?
A) It will weigh less because it is still respiring.
B) It will weigh less because no photosynthesis is occurring.
C) It will weigh more because the Calvin cycle reactions continue.
D) It will weigh the same since no biomass is produced.
E) It will weigh more because it still has access to water and soil nutrients.
4. Your friend lost 15 pounds of fat by dieting. Fat molecules are made from glycerol (C3H5(OH)3) and
fatty acids such as stearic acid (C17H35COOH). What happened to the atoms in the fat molecules when
your friend lost weight. Choose True (T) or False (F) for each possibility.
T F Some of the atoms in the fat left your friend’s body in carbon dioxide molecules.
T F Some of the atoms in the fat left your friend’s body in feces.
T F Some of the atoms in the fat were converted into energy for body heat and exercise.
T F Some of the atoms in the fat left your friend’s body in water molecules.
T F Some of the atoms in the fat were burned up when your friend exercised.
15
5. A remote island in Lake Superior is uninhabited by humans. The primary mammal populations
are white-tailed deer and wolves. The island is left undisturbed for many years. Select the best
answer(s) below for what will happen to the average populations of the animals over time.
_____a. On average, there will be a few more deer than wolves.
_____b. On average, there will be a few more wolves than deer.
_____c. On average, there will be many more deer than wolves.
_____d. On average, there will be many more wolves than deer.
_____e. On average, the populations of each would be about equal.
_____f. None of the above. My answer would be: ______________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Please explain your answer to what happens to the populations of deer and wolves.
6. Organisms higher in a food web:
A) eat everything that is lower on the food web.
B) eat organisms directly below them in the food web, but not lower than that.
C) eat only some species directly below them in the food web, but not lower than that.
D) eat only some species directly below them in the food web and some others lower in the food
web as well.
Please explain your answer.
7. Once carbon enters a plant, it can …
A) exit the plant as CO2. Circle True or False
Explain
B) become part of the plant cell walls, protein, fat, and DNA. Circle True or False
Explain
C) be consumed by an insect feeding on the plant and become part of the insect’s body. Circle
True or False
Explain
D) be converted to energy for plant growth. Circle True or False
Explain
E) become part of soil organic matter when parts of the plants die and fall off the plant.
Circle True or False
Explain
16
Energy Flow DQC’s
Unlike matter, which cycles within the Earth’s ecosystems, energy flows directionally, entering the
Earth’s ecosystems as sunlight and leaving as reflected sunlight or heat. The biosphere is an “open”
system with respect to energy. However, energy and matter are coupled, but are not interchangeable;
students struggle to understand this relationship. A common misconception is that matter is converted to
energy during transformations of organic material, and is often accentuated by commonly used phrases
(e.g. “Cereal at breakfast provides the energy needed for an active day”). Plants capture solar energy and
store it as chemical energy within carbon compounds, and most of this chemical energy is converted to
heat energy during cellular respiration. Two Diagnostic Question Clusters (DQC’s), Energy Pyramid
and Rainforest provide parallel questions to diagnose student reasoning about energy flow through
ecosystems. Both DQC’s ask students to reason about an ecosystem scale energy flow question, and
subsequent questions diagnose their ability to trace energy through individual processes involved in
energy flow through ecosystems. The goal is to identify the knowledge gaps, misconceptions and
misapplications that prevent students from understanding ecosystem scale questions. The names of
individual questions categorized by process are shown in the table below.
Processes
Multiple Process
Photosynthesis
Energy Pyramid
ENERPYR1 (1)
LDTREES(3),
CORNGROW (7),
Transformation – Plant – Plant
Transformation Plant – Animal
LDTREES (3)
GRAPGLUC (4)
Transformation – Plant to Decomposer
Transformation – Energy Loss
BREADMOLD (6)
ENERPYR3 (2),
TROPHERNER (5)
BREADMOLD (6),
LDTREES (3)
Respiration – Decomposition
17
Rainforest
TROPFOREST (1)
ECOENER1 (2a),
WOLVSUN (2b)
ENERGYL1 (3),
TREEFOREST (6)
TREEFOREST (6)
ENERGAINA (4a)
WOLVSUN (2b)
BREADMOLD (5)
ENERGAINB (4b)
COMPOST (7),
BREADMOLD (5)
Energy Pyramid Diagnostic Question Cluster
Tracing energy is a necessary principle for understanding ecosystem ecology. Many students incorrectly
consider higher trophic levels to contain more energy than lower trophic levels, which is often based on
their own experiences consuming vegetables vs. meat products. This DQC specifically asks students to
trace energy through trophic levels, and properly identify that energy is lost as heat as matter is
transferred within organisms and between trophic levels. Following the initial ecosystem scale, multiple
process question, students are asked about processes regarding energy flow, with questions at molecular,
organismal and ecosystem scales.
18
Energy Pyramid Diagnostic Question Cluster
Please answer the questions below as carefully and completely as you can.
1. Consider the three diagrams below. They represent three situations in which 100 kg of green
plants serve as the original source of food for each of the food chains. In situation II, for
example, cattle eat 100 kg of green plants and then people eat the beef that is produced by the
cattle as a result of having eaten the plants.
In which of the three situations is the most energy available to the person?
A) I
B) II
C) III
D) Situations I and II will roughly tie for the most energy.
E) The same amount of energy will be available to the person in all three situations.
Please explain your answer.
2. A land ecosystem contains grass, grasshoppers, sparrows, and hawks. Which population contains the
least energy in the ecosystem?
A) grass
B) grasshoppers
C) sparrows
D) hawks
E) this question does not provide enough information
Please explain your answer.
3. Does a living tree have energy? Yes / No
Does a dead tree have energy? Yes / No
Please explain your answers.
19
4. You eat a grape high in glucose content. How could a glucose molecule from the grape provide
energy to move your little finger?
A) The glucose is digested into simpler molecules having more energy.
B) The glucose reacts to become ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate).
C) The glucose is converted into energy.
D) The energy of the glucose is transferred to other molecules.
E) The energy of the glucose is transferred to CO2.and H2O.
5. The top of a food web:
A) accumulates all of the energy that existed in the consumed organisms that were lower in the food
web.
B) has less available energy than trophic levels below it.
C) has the same amount of accumulated energy as each of the trophic levels below it.
D) has available to it all of the energy of the food web.
Please explain your answer.
6. A loaf of bread was left uncovered for two weeks. Three different kinds of mold grew on it. Assuming
that the bread did not dry out, which of the following is a reasonable prediction of the weight of the
bread and mold together?
A) The mass has increased, because the mold has grown.
B) The mass remains the same as the mold converts bread into biomass.
C) The mass decreases as the growing mold converts bread into energy.
D) The mass decreases as the mold converts bread into biomass and gases.
Please explain your answer.
7. Each Spring, farmers plant about 5-10 kg of seed corn per acre for commercial corn production. By
the fall, this same acre of corn will yield approximately 4-5 metric tons (4,000 – 5,000 kg) of dry,
harvested corn. What percent of the mass of the harvested corn was once in the following substances and
locations? Fill in the blanks with the appropriate percentages; you may use 0% in your response if you
feel it is appropriate.
___ % from absorption of mineral substances from the soil via the roots
___ % from absorption of organic substances from the soil via the roots
___ % from incorporation of CO2 gas from the atmosphere into molecules by green leaves
___ % from incorporation of H2O from the soil into molecules by green leaves
___ % from absorption of solar radiation into the leaf
Please explain your answer.
20
Rainforest Diagnostic Question Cluster
A large proportion if general biology students assume that both matter and energy are recycled within
ecosystems, indicating that students have more trouble tracing energy in ecosystems than matter. The
multiple process question at the beginning of this DQC asks students to decide whether matter and
energy are recycled within ecosystems, and provide a detailed explanation of their answer. Subsequent
questions 2-7 are designed to further diagnose student reasoning about energy flow within ecosystems,
and their ability to identify the relationship between matter and energy. Most questions are posed at the
scale of the ecosystem, requiring implicit knowledge of molecular processes. Questions three and six ask
questions directed more at the molecular scale.
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Rainforest Diagnostic Question Cluster
Please answer the questions below as carefully and completely as you can.
1. A tropical rainforest is an example of an ecosystem. Which of the following statements about matter
and energy in a tropical rainforest is the most accurate? Please choose ONE answer that you think is
best.
A) Energy is recycled, but matter is not recycled.
B) Matter is recycled, but energy is not recycled.
C) Both matter and energy are recycled.
D) Neither matter nor energy are recycled.
Please explain why you think that the answer you chose is better than the others.
2a. What is the ultimate energy source for ecosystems? Please circle the correct answer.
A) nutrients
B) sunlight
C) water
D) carbon
E) carbohydrates
F) others
2b. Wolves are nocturnal, meaning that they search for food at night. Therefore, could wolves live
without sunlight? Circle Yes or No.
Why or why not?
3. Sunlight helps plants to grow. Where does light energy go when it is used by plants? Please choose
the ONE answer that you think is best.
A) The light energy is converted into glucose of the plants.
B) The light energy is converted into ATP in the plants.
C) The light energy is used up to power the process of photosynthesis.
D) The light energy becomes chemical bond energy.
E) The light energy does not go into the plants’ body.
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4a. Of the energy gained by a plant (i.e. producer), what percentage is typically transferred to a rabbit
that eats the plant?
A) 90-100%
B) 60-70%
C) 30-40%
D) 10-20%
4b. If you chose B, C or D, what happens to the energy that does not get transferred between the plant
and rabbit?
5. A loaf of bread was left uncovered for two weeks. Three different kinds of mold grew on it.
Assuming that the bread did not dry out, which of the following is a reasonable prediction of the weight
of the bread and mold together?
A) The mass has increased, because the mold has grown.
B) The mass remains the same as the mold converts bread into biomass.
C) The mass decreases as the growing mold converts bread into energy.
D) The mass decreases as the mold converts bread into biomass and gases.
Please explain your answer.
6. The trees in the rain forest contain molecules of chlorophyll a (C55H72O5N4Mg). Decide whether each
of the following statements is true about the atoms in those molecules. Circle True (T) or False (F).
T F Some of the atoms in the chlorophyll came from carbon dioxide in the air.
T F Some of the atoms in the chlorophyll came from sunlight that provided energy for photosynthesis.
T F Some of the atoms in the chlorophyll came from water in the soil.
T F Some of the atoms in the chlorophyll came from nutrients in the soil.
T F Some of the atoms in the chlorophyll came from glucose produced by photosynthesis
T F Some of the atoms in the chlorophyll came from the seed that the tree grew from.
7. When the leaves in a compost pile decay, they lose mass. What do you think happens to the
mass of the leaves? Circle True (T) or False (F).
T F The mass goes away when the leaves decompose.
T F The mass is converted to heat energy.
T F The mass is converted into soil minerals.
T F The mass is converted into carbon dioxide and water.
Please explain your answers.
23
Understanding Climate Change DQC’s
What knowledge does a student, or citizen, need in order to understand a scientific document about
climate change, such as the reports published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change? In
addition to understanding the scientific method, students must decipher the complex chemical,
biological and physical processes involved in the accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases and the
ability of those gases to absorb infrared radiation reflected from the Earth’s surface back towards the
atmosphere. At the heart of understanding this complexity is tracing matter, particularly carbon, and
tracing energy associated with carbon containing molecules. Carbon Balance and Keeling Curve are
two parallel Diagnostic Question Clusters (DQC’s) that are intended to diagnose problems in student
reasoning about the processes involved in global climate change. Following an initial multiple process
question, students are asked about individual processes contributing to the multiple process question.
The names of individual questions categorized by process are shown in the table below.
Processes
Multiple Process
Photosynthesis
Transformation – Plant to Soil
Respiration – Decomposition
Combustion
Atmosphere – Greenhouse effect
Biogeography
Carbon Balance
ATMBALANCE (1)
FOODMOVE (3)
ORIGFUEL (4),
FALEAVEA (5a)
FALEAVEA (5a),
FALEAVEB (5a)
COALELEC (6)
GLOBWAMC (2)
24
Keeling Curve
KLGSEASON (1)
CORNGROW (3)
FALEAVEA (4a)
FALEAVEA (4a),
FALEAVEB (4b)
QANGASCO (5)
EARTHWARM (6)
GLOBELAND (2)
Carbon Balance Diagnostic Question Cluster
Human activities have caused an imbalance in the carbon cycle; most notable is the increase in
atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, the rate at which carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere
depends on many other carbon transformation processes. In this DQC, students are asked to interpret a
carbon cycle diagram that is out of balance; more carbon dioxide is entering the atmosphere than is
leaving the atmosphere. Single process questions (2-6) that follow question one require students to
individually trace matter through several different carbon transformations. These individual processes
are imperative for understanding and explaining the larger imbalance in the global carbon cycle. At the
ecosystem scale, students must reconcile human influences to the carbon cycle with ongoing carbon
transformation processes occurring with or without human involvement, all the while applying their
knowledge of processes that occur at the organismal and molecular levels.
25
Carbon Balance Diagnostic Question Cluster
Please answer the questions below as carefully and completely as you can.
The carbon cycle diagram shown below indicates the Earth’s carbon pools and fluxes. The units used for
pools are Pedagrams (1015 grams), and the fluxes are in Pedagrams per year.
1. Based on the diagram above, is atmospheric carbon at a steady state? Circle Yes or No.
Please explain your answer.
2. Scientists believe that the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere has been increasing during
the past 100 years. What is the major cause of this?
A) More heat is released from vehicles and factories into the atmosphere.
B) More particulate pollution (smog) is in the atmosphere.
C) More carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere.
D) Deterioration of the ozone layer
E) None of these causes global warming.
Please explain your answer.
3. Draw arrows to explain how food moves through a green plant. Explain what the plant’s food is, and
where it comes from.
26
4. Coal, oil, and gas are called fossil fuels. What were they before they became fossil fuels?
5a. In the fall, the leaves on trees in a deciduous forest fall to the ground. Explain what happens to the
leaves once they fall to the ground.
5b. Do the changes in the dead leaves affect atmospheric carbon dioxide levels? Circle Yes or No.
Why or why not?
6. Power plants often burn coal to produce electricity. Where do the atoms in the coal go when it is
burned? Decide whether each of the statements below is true (T) or false (F).
T
T
T
T
T
F
F
F
F
F
Some of the mass of the coal produces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Some of the mass of the coal produces sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.
Some of the mass of the coal is converted to heat and electrical energy.
Some of the mass of the coal produces oxygen in the atmosphere.
Some of the mass of the coal is consumed by the flame when it is burned.
27
Keeling Curve Diagnostic Question Cluster
The Keeling Curve is a diagram that shows data collected on carbon dioxide levels at Mauna Loa,
Hawaii, starting in the 1950’s. This diagram shows increasing carbon dioxide levels across years, but
fluctuating levels within years due to changes in photosynthesis and respiration across seasons. Students
are asked to interpret this diagram, describing both the changing levels over multiple years and changes
within a single season. In addition to the carbon transformation processes that must be understood to
interpret the Keeling Curve (questions 3-5), students must also have an understanding of biogeography,
that the majority of land mass is located in the Northern Hemisphere (question 2). Without hemisphere
differences, intra-annual fluctuations would not be evident. This DQC poses questions to students at the
ecosystem scale, including questions about human influences, but requires an implicit understanding of
smaller scale processes, some of which are asked about in questions two through five.
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Keeling Curve Diagnostic Question Cluster
Please answer the questions below as carefully and completely as you can.
1. The graph given below shows changes in concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over a
47-year span at Mauna Loa observatory at Hawaii.
1a. Why do you think this graph shows atmospheric carbon dioxide levels decreasing in the summer and
fall and carbon dioxide levels increasing in the winter and spring?
1b. Why do you think the levels of carbon dioxide have increased from 1960 to present?
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2. Would you expect to find more living plant mass in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere of the
Earth? Please explain why you chose your answer.
3. Each Spring, farmers plant about 5-10 kg of seed corn per acre for commercial corn production. By
the fall, this same acre of corn will yield approximately 4-5 metric tons (4,000 – 5,000 kg) of dry,
harvested corn. What percent of the mass of the harvested corn was once in the following substances and
locations? Fill in the blanks with the appropriate percentages; you may use 0% in your response if you
feel it is appropriate.
___ % from absorption of mineral substances from the soil via the roots
___ % from absorption of organic substances from the soil via the roots
___ % from incorporation of CO2 gas from the atmosphere into molecules by green leaves
___ % from incorporation of H2O from the soil into molecules by green leaves
___ % from absorption of solar radiation into the leaf
Please explain your answer.
4a. In the fall, the leaves on trees in a deciduous forest fall to the ground. Explain what happens to the
leaves once they fall to the ground.
4b. Do the changes in the dead leaves affect atmospheric carbon dioxide levels? Circle Yes or No.
Why or why not?
5a. Do you think the following statement can be correct? Circle Yes or No.
One gallon of gasoline, which weighs about 6.3 pounds, could produce 20 pounds of carbon dioxide
when burned.
5b. Explain your reasoning. How could the carbon dioxide weigh more than the gasoline, or why is this
impossible? (Note: Gasoline is a mixture of hydrocarbons such as octane: C8H18.)
30
Carbon Dynamics in Energy Production DQC’s
Fossil fuel combustion is one of the major causes of increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
However, the accumulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide due to this combustion process is not as
simple as it would appear, as the carbon atoms in gasoline were stored in locations not available for
decomposition. Although biofuel combustion is the same process as fossil fuel combustion, biofuel
combustion does not theoretically result in increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The carbon
transformation processes that lead to the “old” carbon in gasoline and the “new” carbon in biofuels are
essential for reasoning about the outcomes of combustion. The two Diagnostic Question Clusters
(DQC’s) in this topic, Biofuels and Gasoline, intend to diagnose problematic student thinking about
generation and combustion of these two transportation fuels, identifying the important processes
involved that students fail to comprehend. The names of individual questions categorized by process are
shown in the table below.
Processes
Multiple Process
Photosynthesis
Combustion
Biofuels
BIOFUEL (1)
CARBRESB (3b),
CORNGROW (7)
SOILCLOSS1 (6a),
SOILCLOSS3 (6c),
SOILCLOSS4 (6d)
SOILCLOSS2 (6b),
SOILCLOSS3 (6c)
BIOCOMBUST (5)
Greenhouse Effect
Carbon Residency Time
Biofuel Production
GLOBWAMC (2)
CARBRESA (3a)
BIOFUEL2 (4)
Transformation – Plant to Soil
Respiration – Decomposition
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Gasoline
GASTRACE (1)
CARBRESB (3b),
GASENMATTC (4c)
GASENMATTC (4c)
GASDECOMPA (7a)
OCTANE (2),
ENERMTCH (5),
GASDECOMPB (7b),
GASENMATTA (4a),
GASENMATTB (4b),
GASENMATTD (4d)
EARTHWARM (6),
CARBRESA (3a)
Biofuels Diagnostic Question Cluster
Biofuels are considered to be a source of transportation fuel that can help to reduce the need for fossil
fuels, and reduce the rate at which greenhouse gases are accumulating in the atmosphere. In order to
understand why biofuels theoretically do not contribute excess carbon dioxide to the atmosphere,
students must have a detailed understanding of carbon transformations involved in producing biofuels,
particularly the process of photosynthesis. Instead of citing the differences in origin of carbon in biofuels
and fossil fuels, students assume that biofuel combustion does not result in the release of carbon dioxide.
Question one in this DQC asks students to explain why utilization of biofuels would theoretically reduce
the rate of global climate change, while subsequent questions dig deeper into the processes, such as
photosynthesis and the greenhouse effect, that are involved in answering the first question. These single
process questions aid in pinpointing the knowledge gaps in student understanding about the benefits and
consequences of biofuel production and use for transportation.
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Biofuels Diagnostic Question Cluster
Please answer the questions below as carefully and completely as you can.
1. Explain why the use of biofuels instead of fossil fuels is a strategy to slow the rate of global climate
change. Use as much detail in your answer as you can.
2. Scientists believe that the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere has been increasing during
the past 100 years. What is the major cause of this?
A) More heat is released from vehicles and factories into the atmosphere.
B) More particulate pollution (smog) is in the atmosphere.
C) More carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere.
D) Deterioration of the ozone layer
E) None of these causes global warming.
3a. On average, how long do you think a molecule of carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere after
being released by a human being?
3b. After a period of time, the carbon atom released by a human being will leave the atmosphere. Where
does the carbon atom go when it leaves the atmosphere?
4. What are biofuels? How are they different from fossil fuels?
5. Liquid biofuels are mostly a mixture of hydrocarbons, such as ethanol (C2H6). Decide whether each
of the following statements is true (T) or false (F) about what happens to the atoms in a molecule of
ethanol when it burns.
T F Some of the atoms in the ethanol are incorporated into carbon dioxide in the air.
T F Some of the atoms in the ethanol are incorporated into air pollutants such as ozone or nitric oxide.
T F Some of the atoms in the ethanol are converted into energy that moves the car.
T F Some of the atoms in the ethanol are burned up and disappear.
T F Some of the atoms in the ethanol are converted into heat.
T F Some of the atoms in the ethanol are incorporated into water vapor in the atmosphere.
33
Percent Carbon Remaining in Soil
6. The figure below shows the percent of carbon remaining in the soil during the first 40 years of
growing crops in a prairie region near Hays, Kansas.
6a. How did carbon get into the soil before crops were grown?
6b. The percent of carbon remaining in soil decreased over time. Where did it go?
6c. If farmers continued to grow crops for more than 40 years, do you think the percent of soil carbon
would eventually reach zero? Circle Yes or No. Why or why not?
6d. Scientists would suggest that carbon in the soil would increase if farmers stopped growing crops.
Why would this increase in soil carbon occur?
7. Each Spring, farmers plant about 5-10 kg of seed corn per acre for commercial corn production. By
the fall, this same acre of corn will yield approximately 4-5 metric tons (4,000 – 5,000 kg) of dry,
harvested corn. What percent of the mass of the harvested corn was once in the following substances and
locations? Fill in the blanks with the appropriate percentages; you may use 0% in your response if you
feel it is appropriate.
___ % from absorption of mineral substances from the soil via the roots
___ % from absorption of organic substances from the soil via the roots
___ % from incorporation of CO2 gas from the atmosphere into molecules by green leaves
___ % from incorporation of H2O from the soil into molecules by green leaves
___ % from absorption of solar radiation into the leaf
34
Gasoline Diagnostic Question Cluster
Millions of years ago, the carbon atoms in gasoline were originally in carbon dioxide molecules in the
atmosphere. Carbon dioxide was converted to organic forms during photosynthesis by plants. When the
plants died, they were not decomposed, but instead were compressed in the Earth’s crust for millions of
years, ultimately resulting in the crude oil formation. The oil is refined into gasoline, and burned in
internal combustion engines, which provides the energy necessary for movement. However, the carbon
atoms once contained deep in the Earth’s crust are released to the atmosphere during combustion, which
has resulted in sharp increases in global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. In this DQC, students are
asked to trace carbon through the formation of gasoline, combustion and into the atmosphere. Questions
one and two ask students to trace carbon through the entire history of gasoline, and subsequent questions
are designed to further diagnose student difficulties in understanding the many processes involved in
gasoline. Understanding the processes that govern matter transformations allows students to explain the
consequences of burning gasoline as a transportation fuel.
35
Gasoline Diagnostic Question Cluster
Please answer the questions below as carefully and completely as you can.
1. The carbon atoms in gasoline were originally carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Using words
and or drawings, trace the carbon atoms from CO2 in the atmosphere to octane (C8H18) in gasoline.
Include as many steps and as much detail as you can.
2. Gasoline is mostly a mixture of hydrocarbons such as octane: C8H18. Decide whether each of the
following statements is true (T) or false (F) about what happens to the atoms in a molecule of octane
when it burns.
T
T
T
T
T
T
F
F
F
F
F
F
Some of the atoms in the octane are incorporated into carbon dioxide in the air.
Some of the atoms in the octane are incorporated into air pollutants such as ozone or nitric oxide.
Some of the atoms in the octane are converted into energy that moves the car.
Some of the atoms in the octane are burned up and disappear.
Some of the atoms in the octane are converted into heat.
Some of the atoms in the octane are incorporated into water vapor in the atmosphere.
3a. On average, how long do you think a molecule of carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere after
being released by a human being?
3b. After a period of time, the carbon atom released by a human being will leave the atmosphere. Where
does the carbon atom go when it leaves the atmosphere?
4a. When you are riding in a car, the car burns gasoline to make it run. Eventually the gasoline tank
becomes empty. What happened to the matter the gasoline was made of?
4b. When the gasoline tank became empty and the car stopped, where did the energy of gasoline go?
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4c. What was the ultimate source of energy for the gasoline?
4d. Do cars need air in order to run? Yes / No
Please explain your answer.
5. When a match burns the energy released
A) comes mainly from the match.
B) comes mainly from the air.
C) is created by the fire.
D) comes from the energy that you used to strike the match.
E) none of the above
Please explain your answer.
6. The atmosphere's ability to keep the surface of the earth warm is caused by the ...
A) seasons.
B) greenhouse effect.
C) ozone layer.
D) wind.
E) Responses B. and C. are correct.
7a. Scientists have discovered several microorganisms that are able to decompose gasoline. What
happens to the carbon atoms in the gasoline during decomposition?
7b. Do the carbon atoms following decomposition by microorganisms end up in a different location than
if the gasoline was burned in a car? Circle Yes or No.
Please explain your answer.
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Appendix I. Questions Organized by Process
List of All Multiple Process Questions:
Question Name
DQC
ATMBALANCE
Carbon Balance
BIOFUEL
Biofuels
CARBNATOR
Carbon in Nature
CARBPOOL
Forest Carbon
ENERPYR1
Energy Pyramid
GASTRACE
Gasoline
GRANJOHN
Grandma Johnson
KLGSEASON
Keeling Curve
TROPFOREST
Rainforest
TROPMASS
Trophic Transfer
Question Number
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
List of All Photosynthesis Questions:
Question Name
DQC
CARBRESB
Biofuels
Gasoline
CORNGROW
Energy Pyramid
Keeling Curve
Biofuels
ECOENER1
Rainforest
ENERGYL1
Rainforest
FOODMOVE
Carbon in Nature
Trophic Transfer
Carbon Balance
LDTREES
Energy Pyramid
MAPLEMASS
Grandma Johnson
PLANTRESP1
Forest Carbon
PLANTRESP2
Forest Carbon
PLANTRESPA
Trophic Transfer
TREEFOREST
Rainforest
WOLVSUN
Rainforest
GRASSCO2B
Carbon in Nature
GASENMATTC
Gasoline
Question Number
3b
3b
7
3
7
2a
3
2
2
3
3
3
3
2
3
6
2b
5
4c
List of All Transformation Questions:
Plant to Plant
Question Name
DQC
TREEFOREST
Rainforest
CARBPATHSB
Forest Carbon
Grandma Johnson
Trophic Transfer
FOODMOVE
Carbon in Nature
Trophic Transfer
LDTREES
Energy Pyramid
Question Number
6
5b
4b
7b
2
2
3
38
Plant to Animal
Question Name
CARBPATHSC
ENERGAINA
FWFEEDING
GRAPGLUC
WOLVSUN
Plant to Soil
Question Name
CARBPATHSD
SOILCLOSS1
SOILCLOSS4
FALLEAVEA
ORIGFUEL
SOILCLOSS3
GASENMATTC
Plant to Decomposer
Question Name
BREADMOLD
Animal to Animal
Question Name
COYOTE
DEERWOLV
FWFEEDING
Energy Loss
Question Name
ENERGAINB
ENERPYR3
TROPHENER
DQC
Forest Carbon
Grandma Johnson
Trophic Transfer
Rainforest
Carbon in Nature
Trophic Transfer
Energy Pyramid
Rainforest
Question Number
5c
4c
7c
4a
4
6
4
2b
DQC
Forest Carbon
Grandma Johnson
Trophic Transfer
Biofuels
Biofuels
Carbon Balance
Keeling Curve
Carbon Balance
Biofuels
Gasoline
Question Number
5d
4d
7d
6a
6d
5a
4a
4
6c
4c
DQC
Energy Pyramid
Rainforest
Grandma Johnson
Question Number
6
5
2
DQC
Grandma Johnson
Trophic Transfer
Carbon in Nature
Trophic Transfer
Question Number
5
5
4
6
DQC
Question Number
4b
2
5
Rainforest
Energy Pyramid
Energy Pyramid
39
List of All Respiration Questions
Plant
Question Name
DQC
CARBPATHSA
Forest Carbon
Grandma Johnson
Trophic Transfer
PLANTRESPA
Trophic Transfer
CO2ATM
Carbon in Nature
PLANTRESP2
Forest Carbon
PLANTRESP1
Forest Carbon
MASSCHANGEA
Forest Carbon
Question Number
5a
4a
7a
3
6
2
3
6a
Animal (non decomposer)
Question Name
DQC
FAT15
Trophic Transfer
CO2ATM
Carbon in Nature
PLANTRESP1
Forest Carbon
MASSCHANGEB
Forest Carbon
Question Number
4
6
3
6b
Decomposer
Question Name
BREADMOLD
COMPOST
DECDIED
MASSCHANGEC
LDTREES
GASDECOMPA
POTATOMASS
SOILCLOSS2
SOILCLOSS3
SOILRESP
FALEAVEA
FALEAVEB
DQC
Grandma Johnson
Energy Pyramid
Rainforest
Rainforest
Carbon in Nature
Forest Carbon
Energy Pyramid
Gasoline
Grandma Johnson
Biofuels
Biofuels
Forest Carbon
Carbon Balance
Keeling Curve
Carbon Balance
Keeling Curve
Question Number
2
6
5
7
3
6c
3
7a
6
6b
6c
4
5a
4a
5b
4b
40
List of All Combustion Questions
Question Name
DQC
BIOCOMBUST
Biofuels
COALELEC
Carbon Balance
ENERMTCH
Gasoline
OCTANE
Gasoline
QANGASCO
Keeling Curve
CO2ATM
Carbon in Nature
GASDECOMPB
Gasoline
GASENMATTB
Gasoline
GASENMATTD
Gasoline
GASENMATTA
Gasoline
Question Number
5
6
5
2
5
6
7b
4b
4d
4a
List of All carbon Residence Time Questions (could this be transformation instead?)
Question Name
CARBRESA
DQC
Question Number
3a
3a
Biofuels
Gasoline
List of All Atmospheric/Greenhouse Gas Questions
Question Name
GLOBWAMC
EARTHWARM
DQC
Carbon Balance
Biofuels
Keeling Curve
Gasoline
Question Number
2
2
6
6
List of All Biogeograpy Questions
Question Name
GLOBELAND
DQC
Keeling Curve
Question Number
2
List of All Biofuel Production Questions
Question Name
DQC
BIOFUEL2
Biofuels
Question Number
4
41